The present application is related to a application, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/516,048, filed Mar. 1, 2000, entitled “WEB SITE REGISTRATION PROXY SYSTEM”, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,855, issued Dec. 17, 2002, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to transmission of data during Internet browsing, and more particularly to a method and system of implementing recorded data for automating interactions and transactions which occur on the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently, many computer users primarily employ Internet browser applications for accessing the World Wide Web (WWW, or the Web) and corresponding via electronic mail (e-mail). The typical browser serves as the means by which a user is enabled to navigate from site to site on the Web, and further serves as the interface through which the user is enabled to interact with those sites by accessing the information content and various services provided.
During any given session of Internet exploration, or “Web surfing,” a user is likely to encounter one or more sites which require registration before the full capabilities of the site can be accessed. In fact, sites requiring registration are becoming more prevalent on a daily basis. Web sites engaged in electronic commerce (e-commerce), for example, typically require registration before purchases can be made or items can be placed up for auction by a particular user. As another example, Web sites which host e-mail services necessarily require registration in order to deliver incoming correspondence to the correct recipient.
The registration process may vary in complexity from the very simple matter of entering data into one or two fields to the very complicated matter of providing a social security number, credit card expiration dates, and the like. In any event, a user must navigate to a site's registration page and complete a form by providing information required for registration. As a practical matter, irrespective of the relative complexity of the registration procedure, the user is burdened with the task of recording or remembering the information provided. At a minimum, registration at any given Web site involves providing the site with a user name, or “login” name, and a password. This data is subsequently used by the site to identify the user each time the user logs in; conversely, access to a particular account will be denied or restricted if the proper account information is not entered upon login.
In addition, the user must also keep a record of the sites with which the registration process has been completed or run the risk of having multiple accounts open at the same site inadvertently, which can lead to confusion. In the case where a user intends or prefers to have multiple accounts open at the same site simultaneously, it is still incumbent upon that user to maintain accurate records of user names and passwords in order to access the various accounts.
Even in the case where a user maintains meticulous records of all the requisite information, the correct user name and password information must be provided each time the site is accessed. Typically, a registered user of a particular Web site must navigate to that site's “login page” and complete a form by providing the necessary data in order to access the site's full functionality. In this regard, even accurate records are not useful if they are not accessible; when a user stores registration information conveniently near a home computer, for example, those records will not be of value when that user is attempting to access an account from a computer at another location, such as an office, a library, or a Web cafe. Presently, even wireless devices are Internet-capable, such that a user may access the Web or e-mail accounts from virtually anywhere. Unless such a user commits numerous user names and passwords to memory, or endeavors always to keep written notes within reach, careful record-keeping practices can ultimately prove of limited utility.
Further, many Web sites requests users to supply data through the process of filling out forms independently of any registration or login processes. A browsing user is often required to submit information such as mailing address, billing address, credit card information, or e-mail address. With Internet activity increasing and e-commerce growing at a fantastic rate, there is a continuing and escalating need for a convenient and efficient system for organizing a user's personal account information and, more importantly, implementing that information during Web browsing.
Such a system should take into account the fact that many users are presently accessing the Internet from multiple locations and multiple computer terminals or workstations, and the percentage of users doing so in the future will probably increase. Moreover, to provide maximum convenience and utility, a system organizing and implementing a user's account information should automate much of the interaction which is currently completed manually.